Socket connector for mop and brush handles



Jan. 9, 1962 J. w. BEAN SOCKET CONNECTOR FOR MOP AND BRUSH HANDLES Filed Nov. 10, 1959' F I G. 6

5a 3a INVENTOR JOHN m BEAN 3e 36 By {Mfr/1 26 A TTORNEYS United States. Patent 3,016,272 SOCKET CONNECTOR FOR MOP AND BRUSH HANDLES John W. Bean, Bloomfield, Conn, assignor to The Fuller Brush Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Nov. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 852,068 1 Claim. (Cl. 306-19) This invention relates to connecting means for pivotally attaching longitudinal handles to mops, brushes, and similar cleaning utensils which are provided with frames or other means having connected transverse pivot pins. More particularly, the invention relates to a sheet metal socket connector having mating half sections each of which has an upper handle engaging portion of substantially semicircular cross section and a lower pivot pin engaging portion comprising a pair of transversely spaced depending legs which cooperate with the corresponding legs of a mating half section to clamp and hold a transverse pivot pin connected with a mop or brush frame.

The patent to Cave et al. No. 2,310,011, entitled Connector for Mop and Brush Handles discloses a socket connector of the general type referred to above. Such connectors have been widely used in combination with mop and brush frames having suitable pivot pins for effecting pivotal connections between the said utensils and their handles. The connectors are of relatively simple and inexpensive construction, they are easily assembled and disassembled and have been found generally satisfactory. They have not, however, been entirely satisfactory.

More specifically, the sheet metal socket connectors heretofore available have been somewhat lacking in strength and durability in respect to their connection with a pivot pin on a mopor brush frame. That is, the depending legs of the socket connectors are sometimes bent outwardly or otherwise deformed at their lower end portions so as to become disengaged from the pivot pin when the cleaning utensils are subjected to rough use. comparatively heavy sheet metal can of course be used in forming the connectors to overcome this disadvantage, but this is objectionable due to the increased cost of manufacture and the additional weight involved.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a socket connector of the type mentioned and which has depending legs of a particular construction permitting the use of a comparatively light sheet metal in its manufacture, said depending legs nevertheless being characterized by substantial strength and a high degree of resistance to deformation of the type which may lead to release of a pivot pin engaged thereby.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a socket connector of the type referred to wherein each of the depending legs of each socket half section has at least one wall portion which lies in a plane substantially normal to the axis of an associated pivot pin and which is provided with a partially circular recess in a side edge portion for receiving the pivot pin.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a socket connector of the type referred to wherein each depending leg of each socket half section is substantially U-shaped in cross section and has aligned partially circular recesses formed in the side edge portions of its wall for receiving a pivot pin on -a mop or brush frame.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming 2 a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the socket connector of the present invention attached to a mop and its handle.

' FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the parts of the connector in detail together with the handle.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational interior view of one part or half section of the socket connector.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one part or half section of the connector.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational exterior view of one part or half section of the connector.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section through a connector half section taken as indicated by the line 6--6 in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be observed that a mop 10 therein is provided with a frame 12. which includes a generally U-shaped bracket 14. The bracket 14 is disposed in an upright attitude and is provided with circular openings 16, 16 formed respectively adjacent the free end of upwardly extending legs 18, 18. The openings 16, 16 are aligned with each other and receive opposite end portions of a transverse pivot pin 20. Said pivot pin may be rotatable within the openings 16, 16 or it may be fixed against rotation in said openings as will be seen more clearly hereinbelow.

A longitudinal handle 22 is pivotally connected to the mop 10 and its frame 12 by means of a socket connector constructed in accordance with the invention and indicated generally by the reference numeral 24. That is, the socket connector 24 is securely attached to the handle 22 and said connector either rotatably holds the pivot pin 20 as when the said pin is fixed against rotation with respect to the bracket 14, or, said connector tightly holds the pivot pin 20 as when the pin is rotatable within the aforesaid openings 16, 16 in the legs of said bracket.

As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the socket connector 24 is of the split type and has two similar parts or mating half sections 26, 26 which are adapted to be secured in facing relationship with each other on opposite sides of the lower end portion of the handle 22. Each of the connector pants or half sections 26 has an upper end portion 28 which engages the handle 22. Preferably and as shown said upper end portion of each connector half section is substantially semicircular in cross section and thus embraces and approximately fits one half of the lower end portion of the handle. Each of the half sections 26 also has an opening 30 formed therein which is adapted to receive a bolt such as the bolt 32. A trans verse opening 34 in the handle 22 receives the bolt 32 with the half sections 26, 26 engaging the handle in facing relationship and a nut 35 may be threaded onto the bolt to secure the half sections 26, 26 in place.

Formed integrally with the upper portion 28 of each mating half section of the socket connector are two similar transversely spaced depending legs 36, 36. In accordance wtih the invention, each of the legs 36, 36 has at least one wall portion which lies in a plane substantially normal to the axis of an associated pivot pin. Further in accord with the invention, a partially circular recess is formed in a side edge portion of the said wall portion for receiving the pivot pin and the legs of mating half sections cooperatively clamp and hold the pivot pin thenebetween when they are mounted on the handle.

As shown, each of the legs 36 is substantially U-shaped in cross section and the open side of the U shaped legs faces toward the pivot pin. Thus, each of the legs 36 has two substantially flat wall portions 38, 38 adjacent its free inner edges which lie in planes substantially normal to the axis of a pivot pin associated therewith. Further, each of the walls 38, 38 has a partially circular 3 and preferably substantially semicircular recess 40 formed in its side edge pontion for receiving the pivot pin 20. The recesses in the walls of each leg are aligned and said recesses are in turn aligned with the corresponding recesses in the opposite legs of the connector half section as best shown in FIG. 3.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the pivot pin 20 may be clamped and held between the legs 36, 3'6 and in the recesses 40, 40 of mating half sections of the connector 24 which are mounted on the handle. Depending on the relative diameter of the said pin and recesses, the pin will be loosely or tightly held. Obviously, where the pin isrotatable in the bracket openings 16, 16 it is preferably tightly held by the legs 36, 36 of the socket connector. Conversely, the pin is held loosely by said legs when it is tightly held by the bracket.

Whether the pivot pin 20 is tightly or loosely held by the legs 36, 36 it is securely retained between the said legs and rough use of the mop is unlikely to cause deformation of the legs tending. to release the pin. The provision of legs having wall portions substantially normal to the axis of the pivot pin results in legs of substantial strength. The likelihood of the legs 36, 36 being bent outwardly at their lower end portions or otherwise deformed so as to release the pivot pin 20 is minimized if not completely eliminated. The aforesaid free inner edges of each leg 36 are generally rectilinear as shown and the edges on each leg lie in a common plane. When the two parts of the connector are attached to a handle and a pivot pin, they positively prevent longitudinal movement of the pivot pin relative to the parts. Further, each substantially flat Wall portion 38 has a marginal section adjacent and throughout the length of the edge of the semicircular recess 40 therein which extends a substantial radial distance from the said edge. Thus, either longitudinal or transverse movement of a pivot pin held by the assembled socket parts must be accompanied by edgewise crushing of the said marginal sections of the wall portions 38, 38 and the 4. sheet metal will have its greatest strength in resistance to such deformation.

The invention claimed is:

For use in connecting a mop handle to a mop frame, a twopart sheet metal socket adapted to receive and securely engage the end portion of a longitudinal handle and pivotally connect the same to a transverse pivot pin on a mop frame or the like, each part of the socket comprising an upper handle engaging portion of substantially semicircular cross-sectional shape and each part also comprising an integral lower pivot pin engaging portion including a pair of similar transversely spaced depending U-shaped legs, each of said U-shaped legs being arranged to open inwardly and having substantially fiat wall portions adjacent their free inner edges all of which wall portions lie in planes substantially normal to the axis of the transverse pivot pin when the socket is pivotally connected with the pivot pin, the said inner edges on the wall portions of the legs of each socket part being generally rectilinear and disposed in a common plane, each of said flat wall portions of each U- shaped leg having an inwardly open substantially semicircular recess at its inner edge and also having a marginal section adjacent and throughout the length of the edge of the recess which extends a substantial radial distance from the edge of said recess, and all of asid recesses being coaxially arranged to receive and hold the transverse pivot pin when the two socket parts are connected to the handle and pivot pin, and means engageable with said upper handle engaging portions of said socket parts for securely clamping said portions about the handle end portion and for connecting said lower socket portions to the transverse pivot pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,511,620 Leiner et al Oct. 14, 1924 1,681,011 Robinson Aug. 14, 1928 2,616,112 Simulski Nov. 4, 1952 2,755,498 Park July 24, 1956 

